I was alive when the Gun Control Act of 1968 was enacted. However, given I was an 11-year old, I don't have any memories of its enactment and the debate around it. I do remember Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King being assassinated and the riots after Dr. King's death. I do remember the war in South Vietnam because my Dad was "in country" at the time. However, policy debates on firearms just were not on my radar at the time.
Fortunately, Sebastian at Snowflakes In Hell has done an excellent job of examining some of the myths around the passage including those that the NRA and major gun manufacturers were complicit in its passage. He also looks at some of the other myths regarding the enactment of the National Firearms Act of 1934.
Sebastian is correct that much more research using original documents is needed to get a better handle on all the issues surrounding the passage of this legislation. Rather than relying on undersourced modern accounts of the bill's passage, using the original documents will give a clearer picture of the forces involved in the bill's passage as well as the forces that opposed it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks for the post. I had been been following our blog for long. I mean there are really wearied incidence of gun shooting all around the world where they simply hurt the people whom they love or care about. You must simply need to handle these deadly weapons with care and with great precaution and when children are there maximum care should be taken. Keeping guns is good thing but must be handled with care.
ReplyDeleteRegards:
MA Gun License